This morning we started a thing called Beach Studies. We meet every Thursday morning and study God's word before diving into the freezing ocean. We decided to do our study on the women of the Bible. I am so stoked for this study!
My friend, another mid-group leader, started us off with Proverbs 31. You know what that is right? Of course you do!
She was reading it and we came upon verse 25:
"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future."
Does that hit anyone else right in the heart?
I mean, the last thing I usually do when thinking about the future is laugh. The future is scary. Especially for a college student that's leaving home, hopefully getting a job quickly, and has a full school schedule. So much to juggle!
Yet, this verse tells us that a woman should look at the future in two ways:
#1: with laughter
#2: without fear
Lately, my future has been on my mind. A lot. And, I have to admit, sometimes all the choices I'll have to make scare me. Matthew talks about fearing tomorrow:
"There fore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?"
Matthew 7:25
I guess I shouldn't be worrying how I'm going to pay to do laundry, then?
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 7:34
That verse has always made me chuckle inside. I can picture God wagging His finger at me and saying, "Taylyr! You're gonna get into enough trouble today as it is! Stop planning how to screw up tomorrow!"
Instead of trusting God with my tomorrow's and next year's, I have a bad habit of giving myself panic attacks over them. I cause smoke to come out of my ears and my fears to get ahead of me. Even worse, I try to plan my life! *gasp!*
Sometimes I can't stand the thought that my life isn't mapped out. That I can't be like Dora and just pull out a talking map to see where I'm going. To see what my obstacles will be.
But God knows.
So, instead of me being in control, I have to say, "God, you know better. You've got this."
It turns into....
I'm going to depend on myself God to get through today.
Now, you may have noticed I completely skipped the laughter part and went right to the easy part.
I mean, what the heck does that mean?
Am I supposed to literally look at tomorrow and laugh at it? Think about how much I'll screw up and laugh at myself?
I don't think that's quite it.....
The New American Standard Bible says it this way:
".....And she smiles at the future."
King James:
"......and she shall rejoice in time to come."
When it says to "laugh" at the future, I believe it simply means to be joyful. To look positively at the future.
This ties in wonderfully with not being afraid of the future! (No! Really, Taylyr??)
Not only does the author say to not be afraid of the future, but he tells us what to replace that fear with: laughter, rejoicing, smiles!
So, laugh, rejoice, and smile! Put the day in God's hands, even if it looks like you've got it all under control.
One of the girls.....
Taylyr Jane
